How to Join the Free Masons in Tennessee

Freemasons allow membership petitions from males over 18 years old.

The Masons, or Freemasons, are a male fraternity dedicated to building members' moral character and to the preservation of personal freedom. Masons founded the first Tennessee Lodge in 1813. Famous Tennessee Masons include Andrew Jackson and James Polk. Today, there are 348 individual lodges in Tennessee and more than 55,000 members in the state. While Masons are not permitted to solicit new members, interested men may petition for membership.

Things You'll Need

• Petition for membership
• Fee

Instructions

1. Request a petition to join from a current Mason. Although Masons do not recruit new members, any male over the age of 18 may apply for membership.

2. Pay the membership fee. The average fee to join the Masons is $104. If the Masons reject your application, the organization will return the fee.

3. Submit to a character investigation. The Tennessee Masons will only vote on your membership after this investigation. The membership process generally takes six months to complete.

Tips & Warnings

• While the Tennessee freemasons do not require members to be part of any particular religion, they do require belief in some Supreme Being.

• Although each state's Masons are an independently run body, a Mason from another state may apply for affiliation if he moves to Tennessee.

References

• The Grand Lodge of Tennessee: Free and Accepted Masons
• Hendersonville, TN Lodge 359: The Steps to Becoming a Freemason